title: Nature vs nurture: interplay between the genetic control of telomere length and environmental factors.
abstract: Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that cap the ends of the linear eukaryotic chromosomes, thus protecting their stability and integrity. They play important roles in DNA replication and repair and are central to our understanding of aging and cancer development. In rapidly dividing cells, telomere length is maintained by the activity of telomerase. About 400 TLM (telomere length maintenance) genes have been identified in yeast, as participants of an intricate homeostasis network that keeps telomere length constant. Two papers have recently shown that despite this extremely complex control, telomere length can be manipulated by external stimuli. These results have profound implications for our understanding of cellular homeostatic systems in general and of telomere length maintenance in particular. In addition, they point to the possibility of developing aging and cancer therapies based on telomere length manipulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology; Tel Aviv University; Ramat Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yaniv
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harari
authors.forename: Gal-Hagit
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Lior
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ungar
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kupiec
mesh_terms: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism*; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D016615:Telomere / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D059505:Telomere Homeostasis / Q000235:genetics*; D059506:Telomere Shortening; D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; D034501:Telomere-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D020123:Sirolimus
keywords: aging; cancer; genome stability; homeostasis; telomeres; yeast